Fresh and Delicious = Community Supported Agriculture

At a marathon distance west of George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus is Leigh Hauter’s Bull Run Mountain Farm, filled with fresh, delicious, Virginia-grown vegetables. But you don’t have to go that far to get them.

George Mason University’s Office of Sustainability is offering a community supported agriculture (CSA) program with Bull Run Mountain Farm over the summer and into the fall. CSAs enable “shareholders” to pay their farmer at the beginning of the season in exchange for a box of vegetables weekly.

A CSA program was offered for the first time last year through the Office of Sustainability. Twenty-five people bought shares last year, and this year more than 30 have purchased shares.

The cost of a share depends upon the size you purchase. “A Peck” is enough vegetables for one person; “The Bunch” is enough for two people; and “The Bushel” is suitable for a four-person household.

“We are really excited to be able to offer CSAs again this year,” says Danielle Wyman, manager of outreach and engagement in the Office of Sustainability. “We feel that it’s extremely important to give the Mason community an opportunity to conveniently purchase fresh, locally grown produce and to support local Virginia farmers through their purchasing power.”

You can purchase a share online and will not be charged an additional fee for delivery or credit card payment processing. To get an idea of the kinds of vegetables you can get throughout the year, see examples of shares from 2011 here. A monthly payment option is available to those interested in testing the program before committing to a full-season share.

Shares will be available for pickup from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. every Friday at the University Hall 30-minute parking lot located across the street from Starbucks and adjacent to the Rappahannock Parking Deck bus stops at the Fairfax Campus. Shares will be delivered until Oct. 18.

For more information regarding shares, contact Wyman at dwyman@gmu.edu.